Some folks have worked at the garden through the winter, but now we have Spring ahead and are thinking about planting. Ron emptied the big water tank, and Ken plowed. Some of us decided which seeds to replenish and which holdovers are still good. Now we need help clearing out the upturned Bermuda grass and breaking up the clods. Come on Wednesday or Saturday mornings starting at 10 or 10:30 if you want to help.
The following is Debbie’s note in email at the start of October 2022.
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Oct. 1, 2022
Greetings –
October already! Perfect weather to be working in the Garden with the sounds of cranes overhead. They seem to be here early this year. In the Garden we are still harvesting tomatoes, and we will have plenty of green ones up until the first frost which often comes mid October. Bell peppers too and in the next few months, leeks. More greens are coming up in the GH to get us through the winter. We continue to plant lettuce, kale, radishes and spinach there.
One corn patch has been taken down and we need to work on the other one. The one inside inside the fence will become a garlic patch so we need to clean out the weeds and grass to make it ready for the October GARLIC planting around the 15th. Erika will get garlic bulbs from the Belen Farmers Market. those that she got last year did well. Let’s add the compost that Linda has sifted from the bins and also rake up the last of the rotting leaves in the big compost area from last fall. That plus some horse manure will make for good rich soil. A 2nd garlic patch could go where the onions were.
It’s a great year for apples – yellow delicious at our Garden and in other neighbours’ yards too.
That’s all I know for now. Debbie
And we may be getting some rain today August 11 through Saturday the 14th!
Pics taken by VCG member Fran Miller
Recipe for all that upcoming zucchini and cured garlic
Zucchini Shrimp Boats (recipe from Betty Mishuk in Silver City)
4 large or 6 small zucchini
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp thyme
2 tbls butter
3/4 pounds shrimp, deveined
2 tomatoes, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup heavy cream
Juice 1/2 lemon
1/4 to 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella
Chopped parsley
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Halve the zucchini long way. Score them and scoop out the insides, leaving ¼” or so to strengthen the boats. I use a grapefruit spoon.
Place the boats in a large baking dish. Drizzle with oil. Season with salt and pepper and thyme. Bake until tender 20 .minutes
In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add the shrimp. Season with salt and pepper cook till pink 3-4 minutes. Remove the shrimp and chop into bite size pieces along with the reserved zucchini. Return the shrimp to the skillet. Stir in scooped-out zucchini, tomatoes, garlic Cook 1 minute. Add cream and lemon juice and half the parmesan. Cook 3 minutes. Fill the boats and top with mozzarella. Cook till cheese is bubbly about 10 minutes. Garnish with parmesan and parsley.
ENJOY
Wed. March 3rd at 3 pm
Register here: https://nmsu.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0ucuqoqDooHdfkj3S-KbT5fIQTKxkKmOQD
Valencia Community Gardens (VCG), a non-profit based in Tomé, received a donation of hundreds of bags of organic garden soil, starter soil, planter soil, and seed-starting kits from Lowe’s in Los Lunas. The donation arrived at the perfect time as our gardeners are preparing soil and planting early crops for the season.
VCG will share the Lowe’s donation with other community gardens in Valencia County. East Valencia Urban Gardens at 309 El Cerro Mission Rd., directed by Lindsey Díaz from the SWCD at Whitfield, will be offering raised garden beds to community families this summer. VCG will also be offering free supplies to individuals interested in participating in our garden community or those interested in starting their own community garden. Our gardeners can be found toiling away every Wednesday and Saturday morning throughout the year. Stop by and join the fun!
7 Silva Rd just north of Tomé Gallery, south of Tomé Plaza, west of and running nearly parallel to Hwy 47. Look for the Valencia Community Gardens banner on the gate and the streetside Little Free Library.
We wear masks, keep at least six feet apart, and otherwise observe all recommended pandemic precautions. We’ll be posting springtime hours as soon as it reliably warms up. We’re at 7 Silva Rd. between the Tomé Gallery and Tomé Plaza just west of and somewhat parallel to Hwy 47. We’ve been preparing plots and pruning grapevines.
We wear masks, keep at least six feet apart, and otherwise observe all recommended pandemic precautions. We’ll be posting springtime hours as soon as it warms up.
Earth Friend PM Handbook AAA (1) (1) (1) (1)
Membership in the Bugman’s lifetime club is $30, payable by check or PayPal. You can contact him at askthebugman2013@gmail.com. This pdf is provided with permission from Richard Fagerlund. Thank you, Mr. Fagerlund!
This pdf is provided with permission from Richard Fagerlund. Membership in his lifetime club is $30, and you can contact him at askthebugman2013@gmail.com. He offers non-toxic solutions. Thank you, Mr. Fagerlund!
Here’s an animation that explains mycelium.
If you attended last week’s presentation by Newt McCarty at the garden and if you bought gophinator traps on his recommendation, you might want to check out these photos. Some of us struggled with setting the traps once we got our order from Trapline, even though we watched the video here: https://www.traplineproducts.com/gophers.html
Front end of trap
Set trap
The key at the front end is to set the little protrusion over the open jaws of the trap. Then, you thread the prong at the rear end through the loop (lower front of the second photo).
Finally you wind the spring and let it catch on the upright prong. Be careful to hold that rectangular trigger down as you wind the spring.
Newt suggested that when placing the traps in the tunnels, face the front end of the trap into the tunnel and press down gently to make sure the trap is well-seated in the dirt. ¡Cuidado! Don’t spring the trap on yourself. As the gopher sends dirt toward the rectangular trigger, the trap will spring.
